Method and apparatus for draining water



J. F. PETERSEN METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAINING WATER Filed Dec. 1, 1966 Jchn 1 Pe-l'ersen BY INVENTOR United States Patent 3,427,810 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DRAINING WATER John F. Petersen, 1950 SW. Camelot Court, Portland, Oreg. 97225 Filed Dec. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 598,437 US. Cl. 61-10 6 Claims Int. Cl. E02b 11/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention This invention relates to the draining of water, and more particularly to a method and apparatus by which to effect the efficient draining of water from or into the earth.

Means have been employed heretofore for draining water into the earth from roof gutters, etc. and for draining subterranean water from the earth to prevent ground slippage due to heavy rains, subterranean seepage, etc. Methods heretofore employed for this purpose generally have involved the practice of boring a hole in the earth and inserting a perforated pipe therein, whereby water may drain outwardly through the openings into the earth or may enter the openings from the earth to be conveyed to the outer surface of a hillside or slope to be protected against slippage.

Summary of the invention The present invention achieves the basic objective of enabling the draining of water into or from the earth without involving the prior requirement of initially boring a hole into the earth. This is achieved by the provision of apparatus which is of simplified construction for economical manufacture and which is capable of being installed in the earth to variable depths.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Brief description of the drawing FIG. 1 is a foreshortened view in side elevation of water draining apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, portions being broken away to disclose details of construction and the same being illustrated in an intermediate stage of installation in the earth.

FIG. 2 is a foreshortened view in side elevation similar to FIG. 1 but illustrating the water draining apparatus in its final condition of installation in the earth.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawing, the apparatus includes an elongated inner pipe .10 having a plurality of openings 12 along its length. The front end of this pipe is closed by an earth penetrating head 14 which is secured integrally with a pipe as by welding 16. In the embodiment illustrated, the head preferably is imperforate and tapers forwardly substantially to a point. The rearward end of the head is enlarged to a diameter greater than the diameter of the pipe to form an abutting shoulder 18 against which may abut the forward end of an elongated outer pipe 20. In the embodiment illustrated the shoulder is provided with an annular groove 22 which forms a socket adapted to removably receive the forward end of the outer pipe and thus secure the latter against lateral displacement relative to the inner pipe.

The inner diameter of the outer pipe 20 is larger than the outer diameter of the inner pipe 10, whereby the pipes may move freely relative to each other in their longitudinal direction. The outer pipe is at least as long as the inner pipe. Thus, with the forward end of the outer pipe seated in the annular groove 22 in the head (FIG. 1) its rearward end extends at least as far rearward as the inner pipe.

A driving cap 24 is provided to removably cover the rearward open end of the outer pipe, and functions when thus installed to provide an abutment for a driving implement, such as a manually operated sledge, a powerdriven ram, or other suitable means, for driving the telescoped assembly of pipes into the earth 26 to the intemediate position illustrated in FIG. 1.

Thereafter, the driving cap 24 is removed, and an elongated driving rod 28 (FIG. 2) is inserted through the outer and inner pipes until its forward end abuts against the inner surface 30 of the head 14. A sledge or other driving implement then may be applied to the rearward end of the driving rod, whereupon the head and inner pipe are driven further forward into the earth while the outer pipe remains in its fixed position of penetration by frictional contact with the earth.

The inner pipe may be driven into the earth to any desired depth, it being required merely that in its final position of penetration its rearward end should still be encircled by the forward end of the outer pipe.

Thus, when the apparatus is to be employed to drain subterranean water from the earth, for example to prevent ground slippage in a hillside due to heavy rains or subterranean seepage, the assembly of telescoping pipes is installed substantially horizontally in the earth with the rearward end of the outer pipe projecting outwardly from the surface 32 of the hillside. At least this portion of the outer pipe is imperforate. In FIG. 1 of the drawing the outer pipe is impe'rforate throughout its length; in FIG. 2 the inner portion of the outer pipe shown is provided with a plurality of openings 34 in the manner of the inner pipe. In either case, water may drain from the earth through the openings in the inner pipe .and thence flow outward and fall by gravity from the outer end of the outer pipe, to a drain.

In the event the apparatus is to be employed to drain Water into the earth, for example from a gutter downspout, the assembly of pipes is installed substantially vertically in the earth with the outer end of the outer pipe communicating with the downspout. Hence, water from the downspout enters the pipes of the apparatus and progresses outward through the openings for dissipa tion into the earth.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a simplified method and apparatus for draining water without the necessity of initially drilling holes in the earth. The apparatus itself may be driven into the earth by any suitable means, .and itsdepth of penetration may be adjusted over a substantial range. Although the apparatus has particular utility in road building to prevent ground slippage of hillside slopes formed by a fill or cut for the roadway, it has many other applications, both for the drainage or subterranean water from the earth and from the drainage of water into the earth. It may also be used as a casing for a well of variable depth. The apparatus is of simplified construction for economical manufacture, and may be installed in the earth with speed and facility.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts described hereinbefore may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which it may be used, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of draining water, comprising (a) telescoping freely within an outer elongated pipe, open at both ends and having at least a rear end portion of its length substantially imperforate, an elongated perforate pipe closed at its front end and open at its rear end,

(b) driving the telscoped assembly of pipes into the earth to a depth less than the length of the outer pipe but at least to the imperforate rear portion thereof, and

(c) driving the perforate pipe further into the earth to a depth at which its rear end still is encircled by .a front end portion of the outer pipe.

2. Apparatus for draining water, comprising:

(a) an elongated perforate pipe open at its rear end,

(b) a driving head secured to and closing the front end of the perforate pipe,

(c) a shoulder on the head extending laterally outward from the plane of the outer surface of the secured perforate pipe, and

(d) an elongated outer pipe open at both ends and freely encircling the perforate pipe for relative longitudinal displacement, the front end of the outer pipe being adapted to abut the shoulder on the head and to extend rearwardly at least to the rear end of the perforate pipe,

(e) the head having a driving rod-abutting inner surface by which the secured perforate pipe may be driven further into the earth after the outer pipe has been driven into the earth to a predetermined depth.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the outer pipe is imperforate throughout its length.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the outer pipe has an imperfor-ate rearward portion and a perforate forward portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the shoulder includes an annular groove spaced outwardly from and concentric with the plane of the perforate pipe for freely receiving therein the front end of the outer pipe.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 including a driving cap mounted removably on the rear end of the outer pipe for abutment by a driving implement by which the outer pipe and the perforate pipe confined therein and secured to the driving head may be driven into the earth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 50,934 11/1865 Huson -314 X 2,141,261 12/1938 Clark 175--19 X 2,969,840 1/1961 DAudifiret et al. 16650 X 3,330,120 7/1967 Atkinson 61-10 EARL I WIT MER, Primary Examiner. 

